Environmentally-clean fire inhibiting biochemical compositions, solutions and powders, and methods of and apparatus for producing fire protected wood products

An environmentally-clean liquid aqueous-based biochemical composition for treating lignocellulosic material during composite wood product manufacturing operations, comprising:

• a water functioning as a solvent, dispersant and carrier;
• an alkali metal salt dissolved in the water, and derived from a non-polymerized saturated carboxylic acid characterized by having carbon chain length of less than eight carbon atoms (C1-C7);
• wherein the alkali metal contained in said alkali metal salt is selected from the group consisting of potassium, calcium, sodium and/or magnesium, and functioning as a fire inhibiting agent;
• wherein said alkali metal salt is dissolved in the water so as to provide a liquid aqueous-based biochemical composition containing alkali metal ions in aqueous solution;
• and
• wherein when said liquid aqueous-based biochemical composition is applied to lignocellulosic material by a selected method during composite wood product manufacturing operations, water molecules in the aqueous-based biochemical composition evaporate to the environment and/or react with lignocellulosic material, and alkali metal ions disperse and coalesce in the treated lignocellulosic material, and alkali metal salt crystalline structures form in the treated lignocellulosic material and/or alkali metal salt crystalline coatings form on the surfaces of treated lignocellulosic material, thereby providing finished composite wood products with alkali metal ion inhibitors that are free and available to inhibit fire ignition and flame spread in the treated lignocellulosic material contained in a finished composite wood product.

A method of producing composite wood products with fire, metal-corrosion, mold and moisture protection, comprising the steps of:

• (a) producing or procuring a supply of environmentally-clean biochemical wood treatment composition for use in treating wood (i.e. lignocellulosic) furnish material to produce composite wood products having fire, metal-corrosion, mold and moisture protection,
• wherein the environmentally-clean treatment liquid wood composition comprises environmentally-clean fire inhibiting biochemicals selected from the group consisting of metal alkali carboxylic acid salt based biochemicals, each derived from a saturated non-polymerized carboxylic acid, wherein the carbon chain length of the carboxylic acid is less than eight (C1-C7), wherein the alkali metal from which said alkali metal salt is derived is selected from the group consisting of potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium;
• (b) applying the environmentally-clean biochemical wood treatment composition to wood furnish material prior to or during the manufacturing of composite wood components so that fire, metal-corrosion and mold protection is provided within and over the exterior surfaces of the wood furnish material during manufacture;
• and
• (c) adding biochemical additives, also selected from the group consisting of metal alkali carboxylic acid salt based biochemicals, to a polymeric resin compound so as to produce an enhanced polymeric resin, then applying the same to wood furnish material, and molding a composite wood product under pressure and curing the polymeric resin during molding and compression operations so as to provide the molded composite wood product with fire, metal-corrosion and mold protection throughout composite wood products.

A method of biochemically treating the lignocellulosic-based wood furnish material used to make a composite wood product, comprising:

• biochemically treating lignocellulosic-based wood furnish material with an environmentally-clean wood treating biochemical composition during said composite wood product manufacturing process, and
• treating polymeric resin binder material used to bind together the treated lignocellulosic-based wood furnish material;
• wherein said environmentally-clean wood treating biochemical composition is formulated from environmentally-clean fire inhibiting biochemicals selected from the group consisting of metal alkali salts and esters derived from a saturated non-polymerized carboxylic acid;
• wherein the carbon chain length of the carboxylic acid is less than eight (C1-C7);
• wherein the alkali metal, from which said alkali metal salt is derived, is selected from the group consisting of potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium;
• and
• wherein during the composite wood product manufacturing process, the entire finished composite wood product is provided with alkali metal ions and/or particles that are freely available to inhibit fire ignition, flame spread and smoke development, in the finished composite wood product.

A fire-resistant composite wood product containing lignocellulosic-based wood furnish material, produced during a composite wood product manufacturing process, said fire-resistant composite wood product comprising:

• lignocellulosic-based wood furnish material that is biochemically treated with at least one environmentally-clean wood treating biochemical composition during said composite wood product manufacturing process, then mixed with polymeric resin binder material also biochemically treated with at least one environmentally-clean wood treating biochemical composition, and then shaped into a product panel that is pressed and cured into a finished composite wood product;
• wherein said environmentally-clean wood treating biochemical composition is formulated from environmentally-clean fire inhibiting biochemicals selected from the group consisting of metal alkali salts and esters derived from a saturated non-polymerized carboxylic acid, wherein the carbon chain length of the carboxylic acid is less than eight (C1-C7), and wherein the alkali metal, from which said alkali metal salt is derived, is selected from the group consisting of potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium;
• and
• wherein alkali metal ions and/or particles are distributed substantially throughout the biochemically-treated lignocellulosic-based wood furnish material contained within the physical structure of the finished composite wood product, and said alkali metal ions and/or particles are freely available to inhibit fire ignition, flame spread and smoke development in the finished composite wood product.

A fire-resistant composite wood product containing lignocellulosic-based wood furnish material produced during a composite wood product manufacturing process, said fire-resistant composite wood product comprising:

• lignocellulosic-based wood furnish material that is biochemically treated with at least one environmentally-clean wood treating biochemical composition during said composite wood product manufacturing process, then mixed with polymeric resin binder material, and then shaped into a product panel that is pressed and cured into a finished composite wood product;
• wherein said environmentally-clean wood treating biochemical composition is formulated from environmentally-clean fire inhibiting biochemicals selected from the group consisting of metal alkali salts and esters derived from a saturated non-polymerized carboxylic acid, wherein the carbon chain length of the carboxylic acid is less than eight (C1-C7), and wherein the alkali metal, from which said alkali metal salt is derived, is selected from the group consisting of potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium;
• and
• wherein alkali metal ions and/or particles are distributed substantially throughout the biochemically-treated lignocellulosic-based wood furnish material contained within the physical structure of the finished composite wood product, and said alkali metal ions and/or particles are freely available to inhibit fire ignition, flame spread and smoke development in the finished composite wood product.

A fire-protected engineered wood product (EWP) comprising lignocellulosic-based material biochemically treated with an environmentally-clean wood treating biochemical composition formulated from environmentally-clean fire inhibiting biochemicals selected from the group consisting of metal alkali salts and esters derived from a saturated non-polymerized carboxylic acid, wherein the carbon chain length of the carboxylic acid is less than eight (C1-C7), and wherein the alkali metal, from which said alkali metal salt is derived, is selected from the group consisting of potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium;

• and
• wherein alkali metal ions and/or particles are distributed substantially throughout the biochemically-treated lignocellulosic-based material contained within the physical structure of the finished engineered wood product (EWP), and said alkali metal ions and/or particles are freely available to inhibit fire ignition, flame spread and smoke development in said finished engineered wood product (EWP);
• wherein said finished engineered wood product (EWP) includes products listed in the group consisting of:
• (i) Structural Composite Lumber (SCL), which covers engineered wood products (EWPs) created by layering and bonding wood veneers, strands, or flakes (i.e. wood furnish) with moisture-resistant adhesives, resulting in stronger, straighter, and more uniform materials than traditional lumber (e.g. laminated veneer lumber (LVL), laminated strand lumber (LSL), and parallel strand lumber (PSL));
• (ii) Glue Laminated I covers engineered wood products (EWPs) made by bonding together wood laminations (or Lams) with a durable moisture-resistant resin adhesive, wherein the grain of all laminations runs parallel with the length of the wood members;
• and
• (iii) Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), which covers engineered wood products (EWPs) formed by stacking together several layers of kiln-dried lumber boards in alternating directions bonding the layers with structural resin adhesives, and then pressing to form a solid, straight, rectangular panel.